Cue up Round Two. And let’s hope there’s no Round Three.
The Iowa Hawkeyes (41-13, 15-8 Big Ten) can advance to the championship game of the 2023 Big Ten Baseball Tournament with another win over the Michigan Wolverines (28-27, 13-11 Big Ten) beginning at 9 a.m. CT.
If another game is necessary, it would be played at 5 p.m. CT to determine who would advance to the Big Ten Tournament championship game from the Hawkeyes and Wolverines’ portion of the bracket
Iowa opened its tournament stay from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb., with a 13-3 run-rule victory over Michigan. The Hawkeyes’ Brayden Frazier and Sam Petersen provided the offensive highlights in that contest.
Frazier knocked Iowa’s ninth grand slam of the season and the first of his career past the left field fence. It was the first grand slam in Big Ten Tournament history from Charles Schwab Field and the first in tourney play dating back to 2017.
Jack Whitlock picked up the win for Iowa, tossing two innings of one-run relief to pick up his seventh win of the season. He entered a high-pressure situation and delivered, too. Whitlock managed to work out of a bases-loaded jam by striking out the side in the fifth to set up Frazier and Petersen’s heroics.
Then, against Indiana, Iowa rallied back late. The Hawkeyes scored four runs in the seventh to erase a three-run deficit and then four more in the ninth. It added up to a 9-4 win over the Hoosiers and a chance to get back into the Big Ten Tournament final for the fifth time in program history.
Meanwhile, after dropping its opener versus Iowa, Michigan has rallied back in the bracket. The Wolverines used a five-run third inning to propel themselves past Illinois 6-3 in their first elimination game. Then, Michigan dispatched of Indiana, 13-6.
The Wolverines plated three runs in the third, three more in the fourth, three in the sixth and three in the eighth to go along with a lone run in the fifth to pace the runaway win.
It sets up a compelling rematch this morning. Here’s where Hawkeye fans can tune into the game. Plus, plenty of game notes to get you primed for a Hawkeye baseball morning versus the Wolverines.